Joshua oxley



(No Model.) 2-Sheets Sheet 1..

J. OXLEY. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR BAILWAYS.

Patented Apr w Pam Phmo-Liflmgrapher. wamnm ac.

(No Mqdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. v -J. OXLEY. AUTOMATIC QIGNAL FOR RA'ILWAYS. No.400,'703. Patented Apr. 2. 1889.

JOSHUA OXLEY,

FFICE.

OF 3 HARLESDEN COTTAGES, HARLESDEN GREEN, (OUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR- RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,703, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed $eptemher 23, 1887. Serial No. 250,509. (No model.) Patented in England February 26, 1886, No. 2,815,

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSHUA OXLEY, railway-signalman, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 8 Harlesden Cot- 5 tages, Harlesden Green, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the construction and arrangements of mechanism for actuating railway alarm-signals and apparatus for I checking number of wagons passing over a portion of the permanent way, (for which Letters Patent were granted to me in England, No. 2,815, dated February 26, 1886,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates, in the first place, to the employment in suitable positions of bells, gongs, fog-horns, or other alarm-signals, the same being arranged in connection with mechanism, as hereinafter described, so that they may, when desired, be actuated or sounded by the action of the wheels of apassing train on the said mechanism. By means of the alarm-signals arranged in accordance with the said first part of this invention the necessity for employing detonating fog-signals in the ordinary way is obviated, and the liability to overrun danger-signals at night or in foggy Weather, as frequently occurs from the enginedriver, While dazzled by the lurid glare from the fire-box, mistaking the red for a white light, is avoided. y

The second part of this invention relates to the arrangement, in connection with the mechanism hereinbefore referred to, of a suitable counting-machine, whereby the number of wheels passing over that part of the line in connection with which the said mechanism is arranged is recorded and the numeration of the traffic thereby readily effected.

The mechanism hereinbefore referred to is arranged near the inner or outer side of one of the rails in such a manner that it may be approached to the rail or moved away from the same, as desired. consists of a rocker, bell-crank, or other lever, on which is arranged a globe, or spheroidal or other similarly rounded surface, hereinafter termed the globe, which globe is so mounted The said mechanism on a spindle as to allow of its free revolution 50 when struck by a wheel in order to lesson friction. The normal position of the globe is such that it will be struck by the wheels of a passing train, and the lever on which it is mounted is retained in the position necessary for this purpose by its own weight, by a spring, or by a counterbalancingweight. WVhen in such a position, the globe must not be too close to the rail, but at such a distance that it will be struck lightly by the flanges or by the outer edges of the tires of the wheels, the too near approach to the rails being prevented by suitable stays or stops. On the globebeing struck by a wheel the end of the lever is depressed or pushed aside or elevated, as the case may be, which motion is transmitted to the signal by means of rods,

chains, or wires, or any suitable combination of the same, whereby the said signal is actuated; or, when the signal is arranged to be actuated by electricity, the movement of the lever is utilized to close an electric circuit in which the signal or signals is or are placed, as will be well known and understood. The signal is situated so as to attract the attention of the officialsin charge of the train, and other signals may also be arranged in connection with the said mechanism at a distance, in order to give notice of the progress of a train or for other purposes; or the said mechanism may be arranged to act on one or more such distant signals only. The lever carrying the globe can,whendesired,be moved clear of the path of the wheel by means of said lever actuating a signal or point or by a separate lever through the medium of a chain, rod, or wire. v

I will now refer to the accompanying drawings, from which the nature of the said invention will be more clearly understood.

The same letters indicate like parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a line of way, showing the arrangement in connection therewith of the mechanism hereinafter de 5 scribed; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same through the line a .11.

In these figures, the globe a is shown mounted on a rockinglever, a which is pivoted at a to suitable bearings. A weight, a, is attached to one end of the lever 61. for the purpose oi bringing the same to its normal position. with the rod one end of which is connected either directly or through the medium of a chain, wire, or rod with the signal d to be act uated,and the opposite end is connected with the lever e on shaitf for moving the globea' from its normal position, and, also, when desired, with means for transmitting the action of the rod to distance signals and to a recording-instrument, as t'oilows: g g] are weighted levers on the shattf, for the purpose of automatically retaining the globe in close proximity to the rail. The end of a rod, h, is attached to a lever, '1', for the purpose of utilizing the action of the shat'tfi for actuating a recordi ng-instrument. The chain 7,: is shown connected to an arm, is, for the purpose of actuating a signal arranged at a distance. The globe a is shown in its normal position, and when struck itassumes the position shown in dotted lines.

Fig.3 is aplan view of a section of a line, and Fig. i is a cross-section of the same. these figures the globe a is shown mounted at one end of a lever, (1 which is pivoted at The free end of the said lever rests on the cam n, and to an arm on the axle n of the latter is'attached the weight 1), in such a manner that after the end of the lever has been depressed by the action of the wheel and the cam partially rotated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the said weight, after the passage of the wheel, will bring the cam 91, and consequently the lever and globe, into their normal positions. An arm on the axle n is connected with the rod 0. In these figures the spring is shown arranged for retaining the lever a in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be readily understood that the rods, chains, and wires for transmitting the action of the lever to the signal or signals are arranged in a similar manner to the like contrivances ordinarily employed for actuating signals and points.

The arm a of the lever is connected The second part of this invention, which relatcsto the recording of the number of carriages passing over a particular part of the line, is substantially as follows: The lever carrying the globe a. is provided with an arm or similar contrivance, which is so arranged that on each movement caused by the passage of awheel of the said lever the said arm will actuate the recording-instrument, or the movement of the ievcr is made to act on the latter through the medium of a bar, rod, chain, or other suitable contrivance. The said recording-instrument maybe of any suit able construction-as, for instance, it may consist of a ratchet wheel or roller wound up by a weight fixed in a box, the said ratchetwheel being acted nponby the movement of the lover or slide, so as to actuate an indicator. When it is desired to employ this part of the inventiomthc train mustpass the globe a at a slow rate.

What I claim is- 1. In a device for actuating railway alarmsignals, the combination, with the track, ot a pivoted rocking lever carrying a globe forming a friction-wheel, and mechanism, substantially as described, ,for drawing the globe or the lever into position to be .acted upon by the wheels of the car.

2. In a device for actuating railway alarmsignals, the combination of apivotedrocking lever carrying a globe, the alarm mechanism, substantially as described, actuated thereby, and the arm and lever connected to the operating-lever and adapted to operate a suitable recording-instrument, asset forth.

3. The mechanism for actuating railway alarm-signals and recording-instruments, consisting of a pivoted rocking lever on which is mounted on a horizontal axis a globe, arranged and operating substantially as and For the purpose set forth.

JOSHUA ()XLEY.

\Vit-nesses:

Gno. E. VAUGHAN,

57 Chancery Lune, London. 1 MEARING,

33 is'l'dmoufh Street, London. 

